EU Discusses New Trade Agreement with Ukraine: Five Countries Oppose

Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Romania expressed their dissatisfaction with the new EU-Ukraine trade agreement based on the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) during the July 14 meeting of the EU Agriculture Council. 

The Gaze writes on this referring to European Pravda. 

These five countries are concerned that a new trade agreement with Ukraine that is being proposed instead of a visa-free trade regime could destabilize the EU's agricultural markets. 

European Commissioner for Agriculture Christof Hansen also confirmed that the issue of trade with Ukraine was raised at the EU Council meeting on July 14. 

“At the request of a group of several countries, we also discussed the revised agreement with Ukraine,” stated Christoph Hansen. 

The European Commissioner reminded that the DCFTA was supposed to be revised in 2021 but it failed due to the full-scale invasion. 

“I presented the facts about this agreement and said that it is in the best interests of our farmers,” Hansen added. 

However, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Romania continue to insist on changing the draft amendments to the DCFTA already agreed with Ukraine. 

The Gaze previously informed about the start of negotiations between the EU and Ukraine on a new trade agreement to replace the preferential treatment implemented under the autonomous trade measures.